Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

• Meysam Mehdinia ¹
• Mehrdad Ahmadi ²
• Edris Moazeni ²
• Zahra Elahifard ³

¹ Assistant Prof., Wood and Forest Products Science Research Division, Research Institute of Forests and Rangelands, Agricultural Research Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Tehran, Iran

² Bachelor's degree graduate in Wood and Paper Industries from Saei Higher Education Institute, Gorgan, Iran

³ Master's degree graduate from Gorgan University of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, Gorgan, Iran

Abstract

Background and objectives: One of the most serious challenges in the world and our country in cellulosic industries is raw material shortage. Therefore, the urgency to find out new alternatives with regard to forests area reduction and resulting lower wood harvesting is necessary. Lagerstroemia spp.‎ is a decorative bush that has many species and after pruning has a large amount of waste that can be used in the production of particle board, etc. The possibility of using this species requires morphological and chemical studies of Lagerstroemia spp. fibers.
Methodology: This study was done according to ASTM and TAPPI standards. In this research, the biometric and chemical properties of the fibers in the longitudinal axis and at intervals of 5, 50 and 75% of the height of the stem after peeling have been done. Chemical characteristics including the percentage of cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin, extractive materials and ash, as well as anatomical parameters including fiber length, fiber diameter, cell cavity diameter and fiber wall thickness were measured and based on them, entanglement, runkle and The flexibility index was also calculated.
Results: The results obtained for length, diameter, lumen diameter, and cell wall thickness of the Lagerstroemia spp fibers 0.66 mm, 16.64, 7.76 and 8.78 microns, respectively. The averages of slenderness, flexibility and runkel ratios were calculated as 40.1, 46.67, and 226.3, respectively. Also, holocellulose content 81.3%, alpha cellulose content 63.55%, cellulose content 53.15%, lignin content 21.28%, extractives soluble in acetone and water content, respectively 5.87% and 2.47% and ash content 1.54% was measured.
Conclusion: According to the results, Lagerstroemia spp. fibers in comparison with other species are a good raw material for manufacturing of cellulosic products.

Keywords

• Lagerstroemia spp
• raw material shortage
• cellulosic Industries
• biometric and chemical properties of fibers

Main Subjects

• Physics and anatomy